In an earlier post I asked about a scope for a deer rifle that would be good for 50-300 yards. A 3.5-10X50 was highly recommended, with recommendations for Leupold and Weaver, and I've started shopping.

I've found one made by Simmons for $100. Is Simmons a decent scope for an application like that? I understand that it's not in the same league as a Leupold, but would it be satisfactory? I'm not talking about picking a gnat off a prairie dog's butt at 600 yards.

Seeking input from those who are more experienced and knowledgeable. All opinions are appreciated.

"...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."

I have 6.5-20x44 that has been decent for a few years. But look thru many scopes before you buy. Better clarity in nicer glass equates to better accuracy without magnification that cripples your field of view. IMO the best glass for your money is IOR/Valdada.

Well, you might think I'm crazy, but check this out:
[url]http://www.binocularsmart.com/scopes/ak-akm-svd-rifle-scopes-pilad-2-10x52.shtml[/url]
If you're on a budget, this might be the best blend of quality and price.
I've got a Simmons 6x18 that I've had for a couple of years, and it's been fine. I would be willing to bet, though, that made in Russia beats made in China every day in terms of quality. If I wasn't so broke, I'd get one of these myself.
BTW, I have a Russian PSO-1 on one of my AKs...the glass is absolutely crystal clear...shame to waste such a good scope on a rifle that's only gonna do a 4" group no matter what it shoots.
Since it's for a hunting rifle, I don't think the 52mm objective will hurt you much...be kinda tough sticking this on an AR, though.

I have several Simmons scopes and they are fine entry/mid level scopes. I use a Simmons on 2 or 3 deer rifles. For $100 you can't go wrong. When you are ready to spend $600-$900, you can come back and get more advice.

All you gotta do is ask yourself is this:
What is the scope worth to you if you are able to complete your hunt and get your deer, vs what it would be worth to you if it fails on you after 6 hours in the field, and you never get to fire a shot?
A quality Leupold 3x9x40mm VXII only costs $260 or so. It's 10 times the quality of any Simmons, and isn't gonna fail you in the field and ruin your hunt. You don't need a 50mm scope (and if you do, then NO cheap scope is going to be adequate), and the difference in magnification is marginal anyway.
-Troy

I've got a Simmons M1048 6.5 x 20 44mm with target knobs & a $1000 Leupold I don't shoot any better with the Leupold than with the Simmons. The Leupold is made tougher ( they say) but I have not to date threw either one out of a moving vehicle or taken it to war. Will you? If it fails you as some say,and I seriously doubt it ever will the deer is not shooting back :)

Originally Posted By Troy:
All you gotta do is ask yourself is this:
What is the scope worth to you if you are able to complete your hunt and get your deer, vs what it would be worth to you if it fails on you after 6 hours in the field, and you never get to fire a shot?
A quality Leupold 3x9x40mm VXII only costs $260 or so. It's 10 times the quality of any Simmons, and isn't gonna fail you in the field and ruin your hunt. You don't need a 50mm scope (and if you do, then NO cheap scope is going to be adequate), and the difference in magnification is marginal anyway.
-Troy

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Get a simmons Aetec scope. They are tougher than nails. tough as any scope I have ever owned.(leupold, redfield, weaver) I shoot 180gr Nosler's loaded to the max out of my 300 mag. The recoil is very punishing, as in bruise you on the first shot. None of my buddies will shoot the weapon over 2-3 times in a session. I am not as sensitive to recoil, cutting my teeth on 12 gagues and big rifles as a kid. These scope ride on everything I own. Never had one bobble out of them. I think they can be had for around $160 nowdays. The first one I purchased set me back almost $300, I got it when they first came out. The cheaper simmons scopes will lay down on you, literally. I've seen many with missing crosshairs.

As far as cheapie scopes go, I found out this weekend that they definitely do not hold up to constant use. I had a Chinese 4x scope mounted on the carryhandle of my AR and as I was dumping mags at Bulletfest, I watched the reticle go from "+" to "x" and then finally fall out of the holder. I only had $10 in the scope, so I didn't care, but there was a slight inconvenience in only being able to use irons for the rest of the shoot. Moral of the story - get a scope based on your application. This scope worked fine for bench shooting where I was taking shots once every few seconds, but failed when I gave it a more rigorous workout. You do get what you pay for.

I've been more than satisfied with EVERY Leupold scope that I've owned. I can't say the same for ANY of the lower-priced optics that I THOUGHT were a good deal when I bought them. I have a drawer full of Tasco, Simmons, BSA, etc that aren't worth mounting on a BB-gun.
"The bitterness of poor quality lasts much longer than the sweetness of a low price."

Originally Posted By Ronnies111:
I've got a Simmons M1048 6.5 x 20 44mm with target knobs & a $1000 Leupold I don't shoot any better with the Leupold than with the Simmons. The Leupold is made tougher (they say), but I have not to date thrown either one out of a moving vehicle or taken it to war. Will you? If it fails you as some say,and I seriously doubt it ever will, the deer is not shooting back.

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The deer ain't shootin' back, but I'd rather go home with a trophy and meat for the freezer than a story about "the one that got away". [:D]
And are you sure that you won't ever need to use your rifle to defend yourself and your family?

Originally Posted By Troy:
All you gotta do is ask yourself is this:
What is the scope worth to you if you are able to complete your hunt and get your deer, vs what it would be worth to you if it fails on you after 6 hours in the field, and you never get to fire a shot?
A quality Leupold 3x9x40mm VXII only costs $260 or so. It's 10 times the quality of any Simmons, and isn't gonna fail you in the field and ruin your hunt. You don't need a 50mm scope (and if you do, then NO cheap scope is going to be adequate), and the difference in magnification is marginal anyway.

One must presume that since you mentioned the $100 price tag and you know that they are not in the same league as a Leupold, that you were not asking for advice on Leupolds.
One must also presume that since you apparently already know about the league (quality) the Leupold is in that you will investigate them and other higher end scopes when you are ready to and will ask accordingly for further advice and opinions.
The advice on the Aetec scopes was excellent. Any attempt at a 300 yard shot - no matter the magnification of the scope - should be made only when you know you can make it. You should be able to make a shot with a 10 power scope on a deer sized target easily - if you practice. And that is a very fair price for that scope.
I have never had any of my Simmons scopes fail me (including a couple mounted on .44 mag handguns) in any way after approximately 15 years of varied uses. Nuff said. I have no personal experience with the Valdada line, but have heard good things. And I have to wonder.. what exactly is a 'Pancreatic riflescope'? Talk about specialization! I have some lower/mid tier (and older to boot) Weaver and Redfield scopes that have seen years and years of use without a failure.
But I digress. Of course, I have never broken down a door or hunted down a man or held off a deranged crackhead zombie from down the block or in the yard or in the hallway or anything like that. If I have to defend my family, my first choice will not be my deer rifle, though I am comfortable enough to use it, without a second thought... though it WOULD be hard to explain to a jury how exactly I felt my life was in danger from a man several hundred yards away. ;)
I have read Troy's statement a couple of hours ago and decided to delay my reply in order to ponder it more. For the life of me, I cannot come up with an answer... how exactly would one's scope fail after 6 hours in the field never having fired a shot? A fall? An unfortunate jeep accident? Perhaps a tank or armored personnel carrier with a backup beeper failure? A billy goat with a bad attitude? Leaning against a urinal and slipping on the tile? Obviously, there are myriad ways to damage a riflescope.
If you were to drop your rifle, you might even expect a failure of some sort - even if it's only knocking it off target and not as dramatic as the reticle taking a dive... though that was pretty funny. :)
I have dropped more than one weapon in my years in the woods and only once have I ever had a scope ever fail - when another nimrod seriously whacked the occular bell housing trying to swing my gun out of the camp truck in a big hurry instead of his own in order to take a quick shot at a pig jumped up on the road. The 'BING' knocked it off target a surprising 18" at 100yards. That was confirmed after missing a doe the next morning @ about 60 yards. The brand of that scope? Bushnell. I have never owned another.
Brohawk, I look forward to hearing from you when in the future you are in the market for a high end &/or high magnification scope and wish to bleed the brains of your fellow enthusiasts here and elsewhere (I hope!). :)

Brohawk,
I have a Simmons Aetec 3.8-12 w/illum. reticle and adj. objective.
It's clear, has a nice field of view, feels very durable, keeps it's zery, has quality knobs, and the eye relief is more than sufficient, especially for the wide field of view. I have it on my .270 which gets shot a large amount in terms of high powered rifles. So my point is, what else matters?
It's a good scope, works great, feels great for ME, and I only paid a hair over 150 (got a sweet deal on an all but new one).
Basically, I felt the need to write because in my quest for that scope, I got nothing but a line of #^@&* about buying a 100-150 dollar scope. My friend gave me crap the whole way as he paid 250(good price as well) for this Nikon (nice piece of glass as well) that did nothing more than mine, was no more clear or durable, and didn't have as much magnification, the adjustable objective OR the ill. reticle. And my Aetec holds up just as well. So who's stupid now?
Point 2. Yes, there ARE crappy scope makers out there, don't get me wrong, as there are good scopes, there are definitely bad. And there are high price scopes out there that ARE worth the money in certain situations. But when it comes to hunting deer or casual target shooting, just give me QUALITY (the key), not a name with a hefty price tag.
Do your homework, this will help you avoid these problems. Look at warranty's and get first hand feedback from people who have the scopes. And remember mounts, most people with scope problems are actually problems rooted from poor mounting equipment. I actually have Redfield solid steel. Once again, not that bad in price and they are ROCK solid.
There's my input, and a look at my 150 dollar scope. If it ever fails in a "combat" situation, I'll let you know. [pistol]
Gundraw

Thanks for all the responses. At my current budget I can't go and lay out $600+ for top quality optics (I have kids to feed), so I've been trying to get a handle on a decent scope that won't get me into too much trouble at home. [;)]
I appreciate your input and opinions. Thanx.

"...and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity..."

Check at rifelscopes.com: http://www.riflescopes.com/
and Natchez Shooters supply. They both often have sale prices that are very low and you might be able to find just what you are looking for for less money!
Good luck
Mark

Originally Posted By Brohawk:
In an earlier post I asked about a scope for a deer rifle that would be good for 50-300 yards. A 3.5-10X50 was highly recommended, with recommendations for Leupold and Weaver, and I've started shopping.
I've found one made by Simmons for $100. Is Simmons a decent scope for an application like that? I understand that it's not in the same league as a Leupold, but would it be satisfactory? I'm not talking about picking a gnat off a prairie dog's butt at 600 yards.
Seeking input from those who are more experienced and knowledgeable. All opinions are appreciated.

View Quote

SIMMONS AETEC! Can't say enough about this scope for the price. Also, I've had many Simmons scopes on my deer rifles over the years and NEVER had one fail.

Markbo, I just assumed a "pancreatic" rifle scope was for shooting people in the pancreas. [;)]
I really tried to figure out what that meant, but short of calling them, I'm sure we'll never know. Anyway, I'd love to see one of those scopes...too broke to shell out the $$ find out, though.